Earl Hamner Jr. put Schuyler on the map as the birthplace of The Waltons, but the Alberene Soapstone Company put the Hamners in Schuyler. In its heyday, the company built the town around its quarries. Several company houses were built for employees, one of whom was Earl Hamner Sr.

The company houses may not be triumphs of 1920's architectural design, but they've held up over the years. From modest beginnings, this week's house has been upgraded by the stone that's such an integral part of the town's history.

A previous owner used skills he developed working for the New Alberene Soapstone company to install the soapstone kitchen countertops. The Tulikivi oven and accompanying tiles at the back of the house were said to be his reward for years of faithful service. The walkway and patio were paved with soapstone by a nephew keeping the family tradition alive, and an uncut soapstone slab sits in the front yard, a flower-bedecked monument to days gone by.

The quarry behind the house was so central to the occupants that in the past, most people left through the back door on their way to work. There are two other doors on either side of the house, but the front one facing Rockfish River Road leads only to a small room in the basement housing the furnace, water heater, and septic system. So it's tough to figure out where to begin the walkthrough.

The walkway on the left leads to a patio, a covered wooden porch, and the door to the living room. The door on the right faces the driveway, which means it sees the most traffic these days, but it leads to a mud room, with a bathroom on the right and the kitchen on the left. Low ceilings in the bathroom and mud room follow the contours of the roof and open into a larger space for the kitchen.

Ordinary tile flooring runs from the bathroom through to the kitchen, but soapstone counters line three walls and extend into the center of the room to make a table. The counters are a rich charcoal color with pale veins, a decorative touch that complements the stone's practical properties. The kitchen is also the only wallpapered room in the house; other walls have been recently painted.

The lot's rolling contours mean that the first floor offers two different elevations. Traveling from the kitchen or living room into the rest of the house entails walking up two steps.

The carpeted living room, roughly the same size as the kitchen, could be converted into a new dining room level with the kitchen, with an exit to the porch and outdoor patio.

From the current dining room, two hallways lead to the master bedroom. The closest runs under the stairs, with an exit back to the living room. The other hallway provides access to the stairs to the second story. Beyond the dining room is the room with the Tulikivi stove.

Tulikivi, which means “fire stone,” is the Finnish company that owned the stone mill during the latter days of the twentieth century. According to the owner, this stove transfers warmth from the wood-burning fireplace through the heat-retaining soapstone floor tiles into the next two rooms.

The stove dominates its room, with enough space for a loveseat and a television. A back door leads out to a concrete patio, and another door leads to an L-shaped room containing a washer, dryer, and desk and an inset for the half bath. Beyond that space is the carpeted master bedroom. Hardwood floors in the dining room continue up to the second-floor landing and two large matching bedrooms.

Outside, the vinyl siding and the recently painted tin roof appear to be in good repair, but two of the three sheds on the property are crumbling. They can either be torn down or rehabilitated with some work, but the one at the end of the driveway might daunt some prospective buyers.

Schuyler is a quiet town, comfortably removed from Charlottesville, and this house is just as comfortably removed from newer rubber-stamp creations closer to town.

PHOTOS BY PETER M. J. GROSS #

6 comments

Sara Sgarlat June 8th, 2007 | 9:48am

Great,interesting article that clearly defines the attributes of this home to the buying public.

Martha Woodroof June 8th, 2007 | 11:13am

Where was this house when my husband and I were house-hunting? Mr. Gross' inviting article makes it feel just like home.

ANGELA WELBY June 20th, 2007 | 1:16am

I AM FROM SOUTH PHILLY LOOKING TO MOVE TO WALTONS MOUNTAIN, IM PLANNING TO VISIT VA. IN JULY AND WOULD LIKE TO COME AND SEE IT IN PERSON...PLEASE SEND ME ANY INFORMATION ABOUT THIS PROPERTY. 3015 S. 17TH ST. PHILA PA 19145... ANY MORE PHOTOS WOULD BE APPRECIATED...

ANGELA WELBY June 20th, 2007 | 1:35am

I VISITED WALTONS MOUNTAIN LAST SUMMER, IT WAS SOOO EXCITING FOR ME TO WALK AROUND IN THE COUNTRY SURROUNDINGS...WHEN I WAS A LITTLE GIRL MY GRANDFATHER USED TO TELL ME STORIES OF HOW HE USED TO WALK TO SCHOOL W. NO SHOES AND A SHOTGUN FOR SHOOTING MUSKRATS, I ALWAYS DREAMED OF LIVING IN THE COUNTRY AND FOLLOWING MY GRAMPS FOOTSTEPS...I THINK IT IS IN MY BLOOD...I WATCH THE WALTONS OFTEN AND DREAM OF A PLACE... AND WHEN I VISITED WALTONS MOUNTAIN I FINALLY SEEN MY DREAM AS A REALITY...WHEN I WAS LITTLE MY UNCLE USED TO SING ME A SONG, IT WENT LIKE THIS... WE'LL BUILT A SWEET LITTLE NEST OUT THERE IN THE WEST, I LIKE TO LEAVE IT ALL BEHIND AND GO AND FIND A PLACE THATS KNOWN TO GOD ALONE, JUST A SPOT TO CALL MY OWN... WE'LL FIND PERFECT PEACE OUT THERE IN THE EAST AND LET THE REST OF THE WORLD GO BYE....I HAVE A HABIT OF LIVING IN THE PAST AND IF I CAN ONLY LIVE ON WALTONS MOUNTAIN IT WOULD BE LIKE HEAVEN ON EARTH... SIMPLE PLEASURES ARE THE BEST...

Roberta Owens Hatley February 12th, 2008 | 11:00pm

I grew up in the mountains of N.E Tennessee.
Where N.C,TN,and VA. come together. They were
seven of us kids,mom,dad,and grandma.
I wore chopsack dresses,and can remember grandma
and my mom makeing liesoap,milking our cow,and
feeding livestock were a way of life that re-
minds me how rich we(like the Waltons )realy
were;most kids today will never know those riches!

John Giuliano February 13th, 2008 | 9:37pm

Region Ten violates human rights every single day. STOP THE HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS NOW!!! Good people are tortured by the state of Virginia at Western State Hospital every single day. The same is likely happening at Eastern State Hospital and Central State Hospital. STOP THE TORTURE NOW!!!!!